United Way, FamilyWize help save prescription costs

From staff reports

editoral@newsandsentinel.com

PARKERSBURG — A partnership of the United Way Alliance of the Mid-Ohio Valley and FamilyWize has saved residents more than $200,000 last year in prescription medicine costs, the agencies announced.

Since 2007 when the program began, the arrangement has saved $1,694,692 on prescription medications, according to the annual Health Impact Report of data reflecting the health and financial support offered by United Way and FamilyWize in joint community initiatives across the country.

More than 1,000 United Ways have collaborated with FamilyWize to help over 10 million Americans save more than $1 billion, with an average savings of 43 percent since the partnership began.

“All too often we see families struggling to stay healthy due to the high cost of their prescription medications,” said Stacy DeCicco, interim executive director of the United Way Alliance. “Partnering with FamilyWize has allowed us to offer new, free resources to our community members for managing their finances and improving their families’ quality of life. It’s encouraging to see the true impact our partnership has had and we look forward to supporting more families.”

For 2016, the report for the Mid-Ohio Valley community said 5,410 residents saved $202,133.

“We are proud of our work with United Way and the far-reaching impact we have achieved,” said Dan Barnes, co-founder and chairman of FamilyWize. “The current U.S. healthcare landscape remains difficult for millions of Americans to navigate, and rising prescription medication costs are causing many to sacrifice health to afford other basic necessities. With United Way, we are working towards a goal of helping even more families become educated on their options for finding cost-efficient prescription medications.”

The FamilyWize program is free and saves participants an average of 43 percent off prescription medications. Accepted at more than 60,000 pharmacies nationwide and covering all FDA approved prescription medications, the FamilyWize card has no eligibility requirements and is available to anyone.

To register for the program, go to familywize.org, download the Android or Apple app or print the card. The card also is available at the United Way Alliance.

For more information about United Way Alliance, go to uwamov.com or call 304-580-0570.